BEGINNINGS (IN CONCERT)

This is an interesting album in the Chicago discography. None of the myriad of versions released since 1978 can claim to be official, and the set does not feature in the numbered list of Chicago albums. The performance was recorded in 1969 at the Toronto Rock'n'roll festival, virtually all the tracks coming from the band's sole album at that time "Chicago Transit Authority". The future single "25 or 6 to 4" is the only track not from that album. Eight tracks were recorded, but almost without exception the variously titled releases which contain the same tracks miss out "Beginnings". Do not think though that if you come across a version which lists "Beginnings" as one of the tracks that you have a rarity, chances are that "Introduction" has simply been mis-titled. Watch out too for a song called "Purples" or "Purple song", which is actually "South California Purples".

Another common factor for the albums containing these tracks is the diversity of titles used. Again, do not be fooled though, if you come across a Chicago album with these tracks in any order you will certainly have the same recordings. Note also that sometimes the tracks are abbreviated through extraneous fading. The albums are usually poorly presented, with little or no information about the source of the recordings, which are themselves of little better than bootleg quality.

All that said this is a worthwhile acquisition. This is the de facto first live album by the band. It is much more succinct than the bloated "Carnegie hall" set, capturing the raw excitement of a unique band in their early stages. The music is superb, with songs such as "Questions 67 and 68" and "I'm a man" representing the very best of the band. The album contains a very rare live performance of "Liberation", ironically about the only song from the first three albums missing from the "Carnegie hall" box.

So, if you can put up with the average quality of the recordings, and the invariably poor presentation, this is a decent "Chicago live" album.